My background as a North American, a Texan and a Hispanic male forms my aesthetics. Personal experiences and trips to the East and West coasts, the Southwest, Mexico, Yucatan, and Europe enrich the themes in my work. The Mexican culture is a major source of inspiration to me and has become more prominent in my work of the past fifteen years. The intensity of my work derives from my pride and feelings towards my culture. Indigenous cultures are also a driving force in my work. The Indigenous peoples of varying times and places interact in my work. My work crosses cultures and portrays the human condition, the struggles, the harmony, the social injustice, and the celebration of life. Ongoing themes in my work combine history, mythology, and religion, past and present, real and contrived. The details of life, sex, violence, and humor join to enrich scenes of both normal and unusual activities. My work emphasizes these intense social and cultural contents as well as formal and contemporary aesthetic elements. My work includes various architectures of signs and symbols from ancient civilizations. Viewers are invited to share my cultural experiences and draw their own interpretations.
Andy A. Villarreal